Cutter bar



Oct. 15 1940. w, R, G|| LETTE 2,217,741

CUTTER BAR Filed Feb. 14, 1938 Patented Oct. 15, 1940 CUTTER BAR Y .,Gillrettav Maywood, Il l., assignor to l, Illinois viron & B olt Company, C'arpentersville, ,Ill a corporation of Iliinois Application February-14, 1938, Serial No. 190,383 i s claims. (01.Y ,tag-.300)

This invention relates to a cutter bar. The

, cutter bar is adapted for use in mowers,` binders and harvester combines and the like and consistsy primarily in a construct-ion that`inereases---the spacing between theconi-ronting cutting edges of adjacent sections and the time interval between successive cutting operations-ot a cutting edge to permit the material to be cutsuicient time to f nreach the most eicient position with respect tothe guard orledger plate forming the? second cutting edge. This increasein the time interval-'isespecially desirable when the centers oi the guards to which the guard orled'ger plates are attached are morecloselyspaced as=forexamp1e in a twin guard construction.

@In the past, attemptsto `increase the time in-l terval' have been made by changing the angle'of theeutting edges ofthe knives; This cha-nge,`

how-ever, allowed but little added time and sacri` ficed the most efcient angle oi *contactbetween the cutting edges of the sections and the-ledgerplates, sothat a'considerable Vporti'on'of the cutting edges engage'tlie materiaiat the vsame in-v stant, therebyV destroying the gradual engage-v ment between the material to be cut and the cut-V tinged-ges and increasing the necessary draft re quired to propel the machine. l f

It is an obi ect of this invention to overcome the objections to such prior construction Vwithout sacrificing the mosteicient angle of the' cutting edges. a slight contraction or reduction of. the width of standard sections. In other words, the opposite cutting edges of standard sections are brought closer together to provide the desired time interval while permitting the use of the preferred angle of contact.

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

'In the accompanying drawing which illustrates certain preferred forms of this invention and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan View of a cutter bar involving this invention. K

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figures 3 to '7 illustrate modified forms of cutting sections.

Figure 8 illustrates another modified arrangement.

In order to illustrate this invention, there is shown .in the drawing a cutter bar I to which a To this end, the invention conte'mplatesvseries'of cutting sections 2 are secured in proper 'spaced-relation toprovide theproper time interval necessary for the material to gradually engage the cutting ledges of the sections. 2 which have the most eicientcutting angle.v f

yIn order to secure the proper'time interval, the cutting portion of each section is slightly reduced in width over standard sections. In other words, the cutting edges at the preferred cutting angle are moved closer together, thus creating a space between the inner portions of the cutting edgesas shown in Figure 2. This contraction or reduction of the width of the cutting portionof each section over standard sections will produce a base portion of about two and one-half vinches as shown by the sections 2 in Figures land 2.

In'assembling thesections 2v upon a standard f cutter bar, they center lines ofthe apicesy will be spaced about three inches apart, leaving a spaceof? about one-half inch Ybetween the base portions ofthe sections. Itis hence desirable to provide suitable spacing means in` connection withy the base portions of the sections.

The spacing means. may `assu-mevarious forms. The simplest form shown in Figures 1 and 2'cong sists of spacing blocks 3 which are secured to the cutter bar between the base portions of the cutvting sections. Y v v In Figure 3, the-cuttingsection which is desig natedby the reference 2e' contains a7 spacing block Bi'integral withoneedfgeof the base portion.

In Figure-4 therey isY shown' a'cuttilngsection 21 in which a spacing block 3b is integrally formed upon each lateral edge of the base portion of a cutting section. Each block 3b should be only one-half of the width of the block 3a.

In Figure 5 there is shown a section 2C having spacing means 31 upon both lateral sides of the base somewhat similar to the structure shown in Figure 4 except that the spacing means or blocks 3C are reduced in Width and staggered, one occupying a forward position and the other a rear position. With this construction, the blocks 3 will have an intertting relation when the `sections are assembled.

In Figure 6 there is shown a cutting section 2d having spacing means upon each lateral edge of the base portion. The spacing means 3d upon one edge is provided with a bayonet slot 4. While the spacing means te upon the 'other `edge isin the form of a T that is adapted to fit in the bayonet slot of the adjacent section; the bayonet slot 4 being adapted to receive the T head of the adjacent section. Thus the cutting .sections 2d will have an intertting relation when assembled.

In Figure 7 the cutting sectin which is designated as 2e has a bayonet slot 4 in each edge of the base portion: a spacing block 5 having T heads 6 upon its sides is adapted to be positioned between adjacent cutting sections with the T heads fitting in the bayonet slots of said adjacent sections. Thus the sections are interlocked and spaced by the spacing blocks.

In Figure 8 is-shown an arrangement wherein the spacers are omitted but where the cutting edges of the sections 2a are so ground that the inner ends of said edges terminate at the forward edge of the cutter bar I, thus providing a cutting edge clear to the cutter bar. l

Thus it will be apparent that a suitable` time interval is obtained by reducing the width of the cutting portion of standard cutting sections without changing the preferred or most efficient cutting angle. This reduction of the width of the cutting portion of each section is plainly shown in Figure 4 in which the base of the knives 2b represents the base of the standard sections now in use.

Y It will be appreciated that the method of inthat of standard sections may consist in reducing the width of the cutting portion of each section without changing the angularity of the cutting edges or may consist in forming a cutting section with a reduced cutting portion over standard sections and providing spacing means between said sections.

The cutting sections may be made as shown in Figures 1 and 2 and spacing blocks used, or they may be made in any of the other forms.

The various cutting sections illustrated are provided with bolt or rivet holes 'I that are so spaced in each section as to t the holes in standard cutter bars.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles oiythis invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than is necessitated by the prior` art.

. I claim as my invention:

l. In a cutter bar construction, a bar, a series of cutting sections with base portions secured -in spaced relation to said bar and having a predetermined distance between their apices, the inner adjacent end portions of the cutting edges of adjacent sections being spaced apart, spacing means separately attached to said bar and extending to said end portions of the cutting edges for spanning the distance between the base portions of adjacent cutting sections, and an interlocking connection between said means and the base portions of adjacent sections.

l2. As an article of manufacture, a section plate construction comprising an, elongate base portion adapted for connection to a bar and extend- -ing longitudinally thereof, a cutting portion dening converging cutting edges, a T-slot at one end of the base portion and a T-shaped tongue at the other end of the base portion, one end of said base portion being extended to provide a space between the inner ends of the facing cutting edges, when a plurality of sections are interconnected, said extended portion dening a noncutting edge extending between the said inner ends of the cutting edges of adjacently disposed sections.

, 3. In a cutter bar construction, a bar, a series of cutting sections with base portions secured in spaced relation to said bar and having a predetermined distance between their apices, the inner adjacent end portions of the cutting edges of adjacent sections being spaced apart, and spacing means separately attached tosaid bar and extending to said end portions of the cutting edges for spanning the distance between the base portions of adjacent cutting sections.

4. In a cutter bar construction, a bar, a series of cutting sections having base portions secured t0 the bar in spaced relation and a predetermined distance between their apices, the inner adjacent end portions of the cutting edges of adjacent sections being spaced apart, and spacing means separately attached to the bar between adjacent sections and extending to and spanning the clisstance between the inner adjacent portions of their cutting edges.

5. In a cutter bar construction, a bar, a series of cutting sections having base portions secured to the bar in spaced relation and a predetermined distance between their apices, the inner adjacent end portions of the cutting edges of adjacent sections being spaced apart, and spacing means separately attached to the bar between adjacent sections, said means having a non-cutting edge extending between the inner adjacent end portions of their cutting edges.

WILLIAM R. GILLET'I'E. 

